Farewell Fiji, farewell Pacific, see you soon Singapore

 Day 3,452 since October 10th 2013: 201 countries out of 203. No flight, no return home, min 24 hrs in each country and 1 pandemic! 

(The opinions expressed on this site are my own, and do not reflect the position or policies of the Danish Red Cross which I represent as a Goodwill Ambassador).

Leaving the Pacific for the first time since 2019

pano

This is yet another busy week. Even more so as we have been filming for Salomon TV day in and day out. So, this will be a short entry – of sorts

Last week’s entry: In FIJI for the 4TH and FINAL time

To say that I am ready to head home would be an understatement. That has been the case for more than seven years. As such it is very uplifting to know that the completion of Once Upon A Saga is approaching and that there might be less than 4.5 months left. I have met kind and helpful people in every country I have traveled through and that provides me with great hope for humanity. We are far from perfect as humans and the good old ” Errare humanum est” (it is human to err) is also an understatement. We are in my opinion not very efficient across this planet and we are also rather destructive. However, people seem to have a great deal of good qualities and that is something which I have witnessed for nearly a decade now. I spent enough time in Tuvalu to miss the country and its kind people. It is however really good to be back in Fiji in time to join Swire Shipping’s good ship Rabaul Chief to Singapore. She is currently making her way up to Fiji from Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. I’ve been scouting Fiji Port and still see no trace of the good ship Tala Moana and her brave Tuvaluan crew. She might not have left Tuvalu yet? As such it was a good thing the good tugboat Katea could get us this far. And how wonderful was it to stay at the Garden Island Resort for a while on Taveuni! Yes, so since Sunday Mike Douglas, pro athlete and filmmaker for Salomon, has been keeping me busy filming hours of interviews and lots of b-roll material. I like Mike – he’s a good guy and a good friend. We’ve known each other for nearly four years now as the Salomon TV documentary started before the pandemic did. A pandemic which is still ongoing I might remind you. I know because I’m scheduled to get yet another PCR test done on Saturday.

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It is always good to catch up with the Ross Energy / GEOOP team in Denmark. Rasmus (in the photo) will from now on be helping me reply the many comments and messages across social media. Particularly on Facebook (64K) and Instagram (44K). 

Yeah – so how about we do another one of those picture entries with very little writing compared to the regular four-page long entries. I know many of you love the long ones but it is late at night and I have been up early and to bed late all week. This was our fourth visit to Fiji, a country which has stolen a large part of my heart. A country which I have always been happy to see. A country with no lack of natural beauty and kindness amongst its people. A country of more than 300 islands which first saw humans some 3,500 years ago. A country where you can easily find a smile and a “bula” (hello). I have found Fiji a highly efficient country to get things done in relation to many things. I have never been impressed with the speed of Fiji’s visa extensions but I have been impressed by the kindness of the immigration. I am actually sad to be leaving Fiji but I am very happy to be on my way west and closer to home. I have met far too many good people in Fiji to name them all and as such I will not even try.

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I made the perhaps shortest and happiest status update video I have ever uploaded to YouTube. I really think you should take a look, enjoy some of Fiji’s beauty and hear how we will reach the final countries and home.

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Take a closer look at those smiling faces! That's Fiji for you!

Fiji Red Cross has always been a delight and while Fiji is not the first country we have visited four times the Fiji Red Cross is the only National Society we have made a visit to during all four visits. They are fun and they are definitely doing a great job carrying out humanitarian work across the islands. I also had a chance to visit the IFRC Pacific Office on an invite from Liz Macdonald who works there. She’s from Aotearoa New Zealand which would already be a good reason to like her. But she is also really kind. I met her at the Tuvalu Red Cross a while back. It was nice to meet with the IFRC Pacific Office which had no idea about who I was or that I had visited and promoted the Red Cross in each of the countries within their area of responsibility – and have done that in the most unique way. Just lovely. The IFRC is by the way the International Federation of the Red Cross. Anyway, While visiting the Fiji Red Cross that same day Mela asked if I would be up for donating blood and yes I was. That makes Nepal, Hong Kong, and Fiji in which I have given my blood to the Red Cross. Yes Fiji!! I gave you my blood!! ;)

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Mr. Itu of the Fiji Red Cross met me outside Fiji National Blood Service and I was out of the building after only 23min having delivered 450ml A+ viking juice. Easy as that! You should do it too.

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It was Hash Master Sir Big Ben who bestowed me my name No Wings. Good to see the Hashers for a last time. I also joined Crispy Cream and Up You for dinner one night last week. So many good people at the Hash. 

I had my last meet-up with the Suva Hash House Harriers which is rather sad. During my third visit to Fiji I got to know them and have had many good experiences through their “drinking club with a running problem”. They meet up every Monday and as such Mike and I joined in and we brough Adam Hickman with us too. Adam recently made Fiji his 182nd country as he tours the Pacific Ocean over the next month or so. I spoke to my friend Ric Gazarian who’s a bit of a wizard when it comes to travelers and he believes it’s still less than 300 who have made it to every country. Two countries from now I will be the only one to have done it completely without flying which is mind-blowing to think about. It is always heathy to remember that we have come this far thanks to the kindness and support of people all over the world…well, except for the Vatican City. The Vatican City and its few beating hearts have done nothing to forward the Saga. But if you are from anywhere else then you can feel proud in knowing that you or someone else from your country has been a part of the success. Anyway, Adam is a cool guy from the UK who has lived in Dubai for a decade and we have been friends for a long time online. It was good to meet him face to face for the first time.

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Having hot pot with Adam (left) and Mike (right) after the Hash. Adam has since visited Tuvalu and returned to Fiji again for his next flight. 

That is it people. I’m rather exhausted from the many long days of this week. It is great spending time with Mike again and eating on somebody else’s budget ;) But it is generally also just really nice to see a familiar face. Mike and I are working on telling the world a story which it has never heard before. Have no doubt that this is world history. How well known it will become is undoubtfully down to how well it is promoted and shared. The world is full of amazing people who have done amazing things which we will never hear about. Will the Saga ever be well known? Well, that depends on many things. But one thing is for sure – this achievement has been hard earned and is unlikely to ever happen again. That is the story we are working on telling you and it will largely be done in interview form with some nice images to go along with it. Have a look at Salomon TV to see the high-quality productions they are behind and you will know you have something to look forward to. Uniquely the Saga’s documentary is turning into a full feature film. This week we had some help as we shanghaied Mac William Bishop whom I met last week. His partner Karolina has supported the Saga for ages and invited me to sit down with them over a cup of tea. Karolina (Poland) used to work for Maersk and now works for the United Nations. Mac (USA) is a freelance journalist who currently writes for Rolling Stone. Truly nice people and good to have Mac behind the wheel while Mike was filming out the window as I was playing my part for the running scenes. Running has been such a vital part of my mental health in such a stressful project over the years, but unfortunately there is no good footage of it. Well, there is now :)

final

Run Forrest, ruuuun!! Salomon Ambassador since 2022. In Salomon footwear since 2013.

 

 

 

I would like to thank our esteemed partners for their invaluable contributions to Once Upon A Saga: DB Schenker Denmark, Kameli, Red Sand Solutions, Salomon, the Danish Red Cross and Ross Energy / Geoop

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If you enjoyed this blog or find that I am doing a good job then you can support here below. The Saga welcomes funding. Thank you :)

 

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Mr. Torbjørn C. Pedersen (Thor) - working above 70hrs per week again

"A stranger is a friend you've never met before"

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In FIJI for the 4TH and FINAL time

 Day 3,445 since October 10th 2013: 201 countries out of 203. No flight, no return home, min 24 hrs in each country and 1 pandemic! 

(The opinions expressed on this site are my own, and do not reflect the position or policies of the Danish Red Cross which I represent as a Goodwill Ambassador).

 

It’s really good to be back in Fiji

panoIf you think last week’s entry contained some good news then just wait until you read what I have to share with you this week

Last week’s entry: The stars aligned (fetaui Tu8)

Yes! So a lot of things are lining up in a rather prosperous way. I have some significant interviews in the very near future, I had an excellent time at Garden Island Resort on Taveuni, I’ve been upgraded to the Executive Suit at my (rather cheap accommodation) now while back in Suva, I’ll be in good company starting Sunday, we’ll continue shooting for the Salomon documentary all next week, then I’ll join Swire Shipping’s good vessel to Singapore, and Maersk has now informed that they have all the necessary approvals for the remaining ships to the remaining countries all the way home. So, that’s it? Is the Saga guaranteed a successful completion? I’d very cautiously say yes. But the last time I could see a clear path through the remaining countries and predict my homecoming; a global pandemic broke out!! Besides, the logistics is only a part of it. There could be all sorts of bureaucratic challenges ahead. Or tropical storms. Or the Russian/Ukrainian war could spin out of control. And in any case, there will still be lots of work in managing social media, pleasing project partners, lifting the administrative load, meeting with the RC, promoting humanitarian work, conducting speaking engagements, networking, meeting new people, conducting research, repeating myself endlessly, packing, unpacking, packing, filling out forms, dealing with immigration and customs, staying committed, and a whole lot more. You’d never believe the workload within this project so why do I bother trying to explain it.

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Taveuni straight ahead.

Well, I have certainly come to expect the unsuspected over the years. There has been no lack of mind-bending challenges and while I try to appreciate what may now lie ahead, I’m still too consumed by this project to relax or take anything for granted. As such the stay at Garden Island Resort acted as a welcome transition after returning from Tuvalu’s demanding logistics. A place for getting my head halfway straight again. Reaching Tuvalu and leaving without flying was a logistical masterpiece on its own. I challenge you to try it. It is generally accepted that after having to wait for a certain amount of time, anxiety and stress start to build up in an individual, due both to the sense of waste and the uncertainty involved in a waiting situation. The Saga is largely built up around waiting. Waiting for all of those people I rely on to get back to me with an answer. And a lot of people do not prioritize giving me a reply as soon as they can. My goodness Tuvalu was tough on that account. So many unfulfilled promises and lots of waiting. Thank goodness HALL Contracting were willing to assists. I really like Tuvalu though and especially its people.

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Yes! So, thanks to my friend Phil, for setting me up at the resort! It provided a chance for me to drop my shoulders a bit. I got to eat well, sleep well, go for a few runs, head out on a spectacular hike, work with swift and stable internet, work my way through emails, do some reading in the book my sister-in-law gave me and which I should have finished long ago, transfer files, reconnect WhatsApp business, and begin planning ahead. Taveuni is called the Garden Island and hence the ‘Garden Island Resort’. It’s a pretty large island. In fact, it is Fiji’s 3rd largest and it is home to some 18,000 beating hearts. Fiji has more than 300 islands and I have now been to four. Not that impressive. But I’ve been to the three largest and I’ve been to Levuka which is where British Colonialism in Fiji started in 1874.

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Breakfast with a view at Garden Island Resort, Taveuni.

Garden Island Resort is really nice! It is located right on the coast and is aimed at divers. The regional diving is supposedly otherworldly. But the flora and fauna are also something special. So is navigating with your phone. The 180-degree meridian runs right through Taveuni which is a fun little manmade curiosity. The prime meridian is of course in the UK (GMT). There are 360 degrees around the planet and the 180-degree meridian is as such GMT+12, marking the International Date Line. In other words, midday at GMT is midnight in Fiji. The line literally marks the division between today and yesterday. It is a whacky thing to play around with. As an example, you could imagine me standing on the “today side” at 00.01am as it just became Wednesday. Ultra-wifey lives in Denmark which is at GMT+1. So as my Wednesday has begone, ultra-wifey still has 11 hours left of Tuesday - and with one step I could join her in Tuesday. For some reason the date line messes with GPS. Phil told me that he always warns people not to fly their drones at the resort since more often than not they will not return.

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Standing in today at the International Date Line. In reality Fiji "bends" the date line around the island nation to keep the country within the same time zone. But theoretically it would be here.

I too had my issues with getting an exact location on my phone. I have used Google Maps and Maps.me across the world for navigating. Those two apps have served me well over the years but they were rubbish on Taveuni. Often the apps wouldn’t even open but the main concern was that they definitely couldn’t pinpoint where I was. I didn’t even get access to the offline version most of the time. That made my plans to find my way from the resort to the nearby Water Slides challenging. I knew they weren’t far from the date line sign but it was hopeless to use the maps on my phone. A good old fashioned paper map would have done the job. Well, so does interacting with people. Taveuni Water Slides are a series of relatively flat waterfalls made out of rock so smooth that you can slide down it without feeling any pain. I just wanted to go and see them and be in nature. On my way I asked for direction from many helpful islanders. So much kindness from strangers in this world. At one point I spoke with Mrs. Lite who was standing on her porch. Mrs. Lite insisted that I should come and have a glass of water, so there I sat for a while and enjoyed her company and the view.

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Mrs. Lite's porch, Taveuni.

Mrs. Lite then insisted that her son should guide me although the Water Slides were just some 5-minutes away. But she insisted. When she couldn’t reach her son on the phone, she began calling her husband to get through to her son and I began to feel slightly as like a burden. But I was no burden at all. She was just very happy to help and it wasn’t long before her 15-year-old son arrived together with two younger friends. They were full of smiles and were already planning on heading to the falls so it worked out well. I said farewell and thank you to Mrs. Lite and off we went along with a few dogs which followed. While on the way we had some limited conversation but they did understand that I was on my way to every country in the world without flying. This prompted them to ask me if I had met a parade of A-list celebrities which they named one by one. They also wanted to know if I had TikTok and how many followers I might have? Once at the falls the boys convinced me to get in. I really wasn’t planning too, but hey – when in Taveuni. And it was really good fun! The boys had been there hundreds of times and knew all the tricks. They were showing off, jumping into rockpools from high elevation, and sliding down the falls head first or standing up (which looked cool).

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Taveuni Water Slides. You can slide ALL THE WAY down. These boys were amazing! :)

The next day I was planning on hiking up to Des Voeux Peak. Something of a challenge both in terms of distance and elevation gain. But certainly, also in terms of navigating without GPS or map. I do enjoy a good challenge. Normally you would go with a guide and I would recommend that for the sake of safety. A guide can also provide you with local knowledge of the rich birdlife or perhaps help you locate the rare tagimoucia flower which only grows on Taveuni and will not grow anywhere else in the world. I went on my own because I wanted to be alone. I wanted to go my own pace. I wanted a challenge and was still clearing my mind. So early in the morning I headed out and up on what became something of an adventure.

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Getting higher and looking back across the sea to Vanua Levu.

In hindsight I took a turn from the coastal road up towards the mountain a little too early. I should have continued another 10-15 minutes along the coastal road before turning inland by Wairiki village. As a result of my “alternative route” I ended up leaving the dirt road I was on as I felt it was taking me too far east compared to where the peak was. There are several spectacular hikes on Taveuni. I did some online research and chose the hike to Des Voeux Peak because it seemed like the simplest one to pull off. Apparently, the hike to the nearby Lake Tagimaucia is more demanding and a guide is recommended. While heading up into the landscape I was worried that my dirt road was taking me in the direction of the mountain lake so I opted to turn west on a lesser trodden dirt road which turned into several lesser trodden paths which turned into wild, wild, wilderness. At one point I had crossed to creeks and was neck deep in nature with cobwebs all over me. I was well off track! I kept pushing forward hoping for the path I started off on to re-appear when I spotted a wooden house further up the mountain. Would there be dogs? Dogs can get really aggressive in the Pacific.

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Two beautiful researchers from FNU.

Instead of aggressive dogs I encountered a young woman on the balcony inviting me up while friendly adding: “I’ve got questions for you”. I bet she had. I was drenched from walking in the wet bush, I had cuts all over, I had dirt on my face, my feet were planted in mud, and I was wildly out of context as a lonesome European in the wilderness of a Fijian mountain. Up near the house there was a stream of cold water where I could wash myself. I was then invited inside and encountered two beautiful researches from Fiji National University (FNU) looking at me with curious eyes. They offered me to sit down, have a half avocado and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. It was still morning. They told me about their research and I told them about the Saga and my current mission to reach the peak. One of them was conducting research on the rare tagimoucia flower. Surprisingly very little is known about the flower and she was hoping to change that. The other was researching Taveuni’s rich flora. They then told me that the dirt road near the house would lead me directly to the peak. And if I followed it back down it would lead to the coastal road. Ah! That was the road I should have been on :)

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No view but great reception.

An hour later I had reached the peak which was completely covered in clouds and offered no visibility in any direction. The peak sits at 1,195m (3,921ft) and can on a clear day offer visitors spectacular views of the truly beautiful landscape. You can apparently even see Lake Tagimoucia from there. You will also find two large antennas representing Vodafone and Digicel so there was no problem getting connection on my phone. But then suddenly, as is often the case at elevation, the wind swept some of the clouds away and offered me a view!

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Mocking about at the peak with a selfie stick. But genuinely happy! Des Voeux Peak at 1,195m (3,921ft).

Contrary to what some people certainly seem to believe I am often not happy and most often not enjoying the self-employed shackles of being within the Saga. I think it is a “time thing”. Had all of this lasted fewer years then it might have been different. More than nine years in, it’s much more of a mental prison with forced labor. It does however have its moments. I’m pleased to tell you that this week has for the most part been different. I have been more happy than what I can remember I have been for a very, very long time. The stay at Garden Island Resort was a part of it but so is the change in circumstances.

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Back on the coastal road, Taveuni. The closed 180 degree meridian cinema had seats in today and yesterday.

As an example, I was recently in beautiful Tuvalu with no clear idea about for how long or how I would be able to leave. Lots of uncertainty. Furthermore, I’ve been fighting an uphill battle in moving about with ships ever since the pandemic broke out. But now I am back in Fiji, Swire Shipping will connect us to Singapore and Maersk and Maldives Shipping Services will take me all the way home. I can see the end and project a completion date. It is highly realistic that I will be drinking Danish milk and reuniting with friends and family by August – just four and a half months from now! I will be free again for the first time in nearly a decade. Free to go anywhere I want in any way I chose to. Or to go nowhere at all. It is such a change for my mindset! And it makes me feel good. I still get very frustrated and irritated with dumb stuff like spending an afternoon not being able to set up my new Mastercard for apple pay because the phone number the system wants to use for verification is a Hong Kong number and my bank is being childishly unhelpful. I guess this project has just wound me up pretty tight as I have been in “operational mode” for a very, very, long time. And psychologically it will take me some time (after I get home) before I can truly relax and “begin to come down”. But I have definitely been happier this week and particularly on the hike.

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Massage by the sea. Yes please! Garden Island Resort, Taveuni.

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Lunch with a view. Garden Island Resort, Taveuni.

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Delicious fish at Garden Island Resort, Taveuni.

One day took the next at the resort. The staff was lovely, professional, and very helpful. The settings were stunning. On the shore there were some large trees which were home to Fijian monkey-faced bats (Fijian Flying Foxes). They are classified as “megabats” which is such a cool word. They are also Fiji’s only endemic mammals. I loved having my meals (which were all delicious) at the restaurant while looking up at the sleeping bats, sometimes moving about and occasionally flying off or landing in the treetops. The calming sound of the ocean. The fresh air. The nice surroundings. Yeah – I should definitely come back with ultra-wifey someday.

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So long and thanks for all the fish :)

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Natuvu jetty and the bus to Savusavu, Vanua Levu.

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Hard but beautiful travel.

Wednesday I sat out early in the morning to make my way back to Suva. A 381km (237mi) journey onboard two ferries and with three bus rides. Not easy travel but strikingly beautiful landscapes. I’m definitely much more of a forest and mountain type than a beach type. And Vanua Levu, Fijis second largest island, most definitely has some striking mountain and forest landscape. So much so that I have no footage of it because I just enjoyed looking at it. It was a 13-hour journey placing me back in Suva long after dark. Never my favorite time to walk through a city wearing a backpack – but my goodness, in spite of that it was good to be back in Suva again. And that concludes this entry. I’m busy making good use of Fiji’s internet. Fiji is as far as I’m concerned, the internet capital of the Pacific with good connectivity, high speed and low prices. I’m trying to get as much work done before Mike arrives on Sunday and filming begins. Because next week will be intense. On the back of that I’ll have a 24-day sea voyage to Singapore and a reason to chop my beard off – we’ll soon be heading west for the first time in a very long while :)

 

 

 

I would like to thank our esteemed partners for their invaluable contributions to Once Upon A Saga: DB Schenker Denmark, Kameli, Red Sand Solutions, Salomon, the Danish Red Cross and Ross Energy / Geoop

Hi Res with Geoop

 

If you enjoyed this blog or find that I am doing a good job then you can support here below. The Saga welcomes funding. Thank you :)

 

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Best regards
Mr. Torbjørn C. Pedersen (Thor) - back amongst Fijians doing Fijian things

"A stranger is a friend you've never met before"

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The stars aligned (fetaui Tu8)

 Day 3,438 since October 10th 2013: 201 countries out of 203. No flight, no return home, min 24 hrs in each country and 1 pandemic! 

(The opinions expressed on this site are my own, and do not reflect the position or policies of the Danish Red Cross which I represent as a Goodwill Ambassador).

Finally on the home path

pano

A lot of people have come together to make Once Upon A Saga a success story. Far more than any of us really know. I don’t believe any one person could ever reach every country on their own.

Last week’s entry: Maybe we’re never leaving Tuvalu?

Much can be said about Tuvalu. I cannot believe that I ended up spending 56 days within the tiny, flat, island nation. At least I didn’t have to extend my visa twice. I care about Tuvalu. If I didn’t then I wouldn’t be concerned about Tuvalu’s future. And I am concerned. The Tuvalu Trust fund was established in 1987 by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to supplement Tuvalu’s economy. The fund has contributed roughly 15% of the annual government budget each year since 1990. Think about that for a moment. That is for more than 30 years. Tuvalu’s economy isn’t magically going to turn around and create a prosperous future for the 11,000 beating hearts. No, it will only get worse. The 15% contribution doesn’t even cover the elaborate infrastructure projects which are in addition to the government budget. Then couple that with a very unhealthy import/export balance and the writing is definitely on the wall. You could have a village on top of Mount Everest if you wanted to. You’d need to supply the villagers with a constant stream of oxygen, food, building material etc. But it could be done. Tuvalu is essentially the peak of Everest within the Pacific Ocean. A modern lifestyle can be had in Tuvalu – it just comes at a very high price. Yet, people seem to be a lot busier talking about climate change issues, than they are talking about sustainability. I wonder if that is because climate change is at arm’s length?

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For mysterious reasons we would frequently only have one spoon onboard the good ship Tala Moana? I dubbed it "the ships spoon". 

Somehow, I completely overlooked that Tuvalu can be abbreviated as Tu8. I saw Tu8 in writing several times but never thought about it. I even knew that ‘valu’ means eight. It took me about forty days to put that together. That’s how slow I can be. I’ve been saying ‘fetaui’ a lot lately. It essentially means ‘see you later’ or ‘see you again’ in Tuvaluan. And who knows – maybe I will see Tuvalu again someday. This entry is however being written while onboard the good tugboat Katea, while heading south towards Fiji. Within 48hrs everything transitioned from a hopeless scenario to a clear path ahead. In the last two entries I mentioned Mr. Tabaeko from HALL Australia at TCAP (Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project). It was Chief Engineer Malae who first mentioned that a tugboat was heading back to Fiji soonish and told me to look for Mr. Tabaeko. Malae is a really good guy and we’ve had many conversations onboard the good ship Tala Moana. Can you believe I ended up living onboard Tala Moana for 27 days? That has definitely made good value of the return ticket I bought from Tuvalu High Commission back in Fiji in December 2022! The ticket ran me about USD 500 but over time it has given me food and accommodation for 32 days at USD 15.60/day. That is called seeing the glass half full.

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The good ship Tala Moana was my home for 27-days straight. I'll miss the crew.

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According to the last plans I heard, the good tug Bellarine is to escort Tala Moana across to Fiji on March 14th. It could happen? However, what a gamble for the Saga if it won't?

Since meeting Mr. Tabaeko, I have been checking my in-box as well as my spam mail many times a day. He said he would email me. But last week, Friday, I learned that neither Mr. Tabaeko nor Mr. Jacob (also HALL) had found time to speak to Captain Tui of the good tug Katea. Naturally I was losing heart and had very little faith left in departing Tuvalu on that tug. But then something strange happened. One of those things which make you wonder about coincidences here in life. Saturday morning, I was sitting all alone on the bridge of Tala Moana while sipping my morning tea. The ships VHF radio is usually tuned in on channel 16 as is the norm. It is the internationally recognized channel on which you can call for someone: a ship, a service, an office, for help etc. Once contact is established you agree to switch to another channel and have your conversation there, in order to leave channel 16 open for anyone else. Simple. Suddenly I heard Capt. Tui onboard Katea speaking to Mr. Apisai (Katea’s agent). They were talking about getting Katea cleared by authorities Saturday so that they could leave Sunday. This was important news for me!! First of all, I had been told that Katea’s agent was Mr. Sione at Tyone Shipping. Capt. Logo of Tala Moana is related to Mr. Sione so he had written him a message and we had been waiting for a reply. But I now knew the agent was Mr. Apisai – and we had some history already. Mr. Apisai was the agent for the German cruise ship which was due in Funafuti but never arrived. He is also the agent for NPDL who operates container ships to and from Tuvalu but have not been helpful. Another bit of information from the radio conversation was that Katea was planning departure for Sunday - not Monday as I had been told. The peculiar coincidence in all of this wasn’t only that I was on the bridge at the right time to hear this – the radio was set on channel 14 for whatever reason? If the radio had been on channel 16, as it should have been, then I wouldn’t have heard it. What are the odds? Time and channel! Very small I’d say.

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Our friends at Swire Shipping have confirmed I'm welcome onboard!! :) As long as I test negative for COVID-19 on a PCR test within 24hrs of joining.

I raced over to Mr. Apisai’s office which is near the port. He was there. So far so good. After a brief explanation of what I wanted Mr. Apisai used his handheld VHF radio and called Capt. Tui to put in my request. Capt. Tui, who is Fijian, sounded really friendly. He also sounded like he was open towards the idea of carrying a passenger but he was concerned with how Fijian authorities would react to it. I felt great relief from the first time I heard Capt. Tui’s voice on the handheld radio. I just knew I was going to get onboard. From this point onward it was the usual stuff with paperwork, formalities etc. I returned to Tala Moana full of hope. But also rather surprised that things had changed so quickly and that I might be leaving the following day. Weekends are weekends in Tuvalu and Sundays are sacred. Many will attend church on Sundays and the authorities are off duty. I had my fingers crossed that my paperwork would go through in time to join the tugboat. Meanwhile Capt. Logo wanted to take me out to see some more of Funafuti’s islets. Knowing this was likely my last chance I accepted so into the tender and away we went.

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Funafala is an islet within Funafuti atoll. Many Tuvaluan's shifted from Fongafala (the main island) to Funafala during WWII. Such pristine tropical beauty... 

4b

Capt. Logo is a proud Tuvaluan and I can understand why. Tuvalu definitely has something special. If you ask me then I'd say it is its people.

There was a bit of drama when I, far across the lagoon, received an email from Mr. Apisai about my documentation having expired. It was just a misunderstanding. The documentation I had provided wasn’t outdated but I had to provide more reason for why I wanted to join the tug. As such Capt. Logo and I cut our trip short and headed directly to the good tug Katea, where we encountered Capt. Tui, and by coincidence Mr. Apisai just happened to show up in a small outboard motorboat. Under the noise of the engines, we sorted everything out and agreed I would join the following day between 1-2pm for a 4pm departure. Solid!! Back onboard Tala Moana I supplied Mr. Apisai with the extra documentation and that was it. I later learned that Mr. Jacob from HALL Australia at TCAP had emailed Capt. Tui Friday afternoon, which undoubtably helped. Sunday came and I had little chance to say fetaui to the many faces, hearts and minds I’ve met all across Tu8. There were even very few crewmembers onboard the good ship Tala Moana as those who could, had returned home during the weekend. I took my farewell with the few seafarers which remained. A few members of the kind Tuvalu Red Cross had wished to see me off but never made it to the wharf. Capt. Logo and three of his children joined me in the tender as we made our way to the good tug Katea. It was a short but hot and humid voyage under a blue sky and scorching sun. I had help getting my bags onboard the tug and afterwards Capt. Logo, who long had held me in his prayers, swung the tender around so that we could shake hands before he sailed off. Good man!

5

Such relief!! Hard to get to. Hard to leave! (without flying).

Not only were we leaving Tuvalu: I WAS ONBOARD A TUGBOAT!!! That was pretty much a childhood dream come true!! Check that one off the list. Now I just need to become a ninja for a while, a fireman, a lumberjack, and a few other things. So far so good. The good tug Katea is operated (and owned) by HALL Contracting. HALL has a strict social media policy which requires everything to be approved by their communications department and I have been requested to refrain from sharing any operational specific or personal information / photographs on social media without prior approval. As such I’m just going to share nothing apart from a HUGE THANK YOU for having me onboard. Capt. Tui’s crew was amazing and took really good care of me. I was well fed and we even had access to Netflix onboard (when the network was strong enough). As it turns out, tugboats move about a great deal while at sea. Up, down, side to side. I had some foresight and popped a motion sickness pill, kindly supplied at no cost from the pharmacy within Princess Margaret Hospital in Funafuti. Tuvalu is good like that. Even with the active ingredients floating within me I barely held off seasickness at times. But I managed with plenty of food, water, tea, and sleep. I shared a cabin with George where I had the top bunk for the entire voyage which lasted from Sunday afternoon until Thursday morning. Four sweet bug-free nights.

6

The good tug Katea was pulling a huge barge 350m (1,150ft) behind her. Fascinating business!

6b

We still have HUGE distance to cover - the HARD way! Our final two are Sri Lanka and the Maldives within the Indian Ocean. Orange = visited.

Now we are finally on the home path and there is lots to look forward to. First of all; my friend Phil, whom I got to know while in Hong Kong, has invited me to stay a few nights at Garden Island Resort on Taveuni. Taveuni is a gorgeous Fijian island with some solid elevation and, from what I hear, pristine snorkeling and diving. Then around mid-March we will continue filming for the Salomon documentary as my friend Mike returns to Fiji. Mike will hang around until I join Swire Shipping’s vessel to Singapore around March 26th. Ultra-wifey is coming to join me in Singapore which is perfect as she loves food and Singapore is definitely the scene for that!! As such the beard comes off in April. Maersk is back in the game and is looking into helping with the connection from Singapore to Sri Lanka! There is more than one option to reach the Maldives from Sri Lanka so that is looking good too! And my friend Jessi, who works at Gambit PR in Dubai, has helped secure a four-day complimentary hotel stay for ultra-wifey and I at a dreamlike location within the Maldives (final country). I should be able to return to Sri Lanka the same way I came back and from there Maersk is once again looking helpful in getting the Saga through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean Sea from where CEO of Ross Energy and founder of GEOOP Lars Andersen can pick me up and drive me back to Denmark! Lars has a passion for racing his 1968 Porsche so it could be fast! Yeah – it is finally beginning to look good. I could be having Danish soil under my feet by August this year!! And in addition to everything else we met our target of raising DKK 50,000 (USD 7,100) for the Danish Red Cross in Ukraine. It happened as Bjørn W. donated DKK 1,301 meeting the exact target! Well done everyone. We are making a difference for the most vulnerable human lives. I’ll start a new collection which will cover over broader humanitarian work worldwide.

7

The crew of the good tug Katea: Capt. Tui to the left along with Jovanny, Rodel, Joel, Setu, George, Kopen, and Romeo!! What a great crew!! :)

Fair winds and following seas to the crew onboard the good tug Katea!! I really enjoyed their company and they truly took good care of me. Good food, lots of tea, good conversations, a comfy bunkbed, and passage back to Fiji. It means a lot! Tuvalu was likely our last truly complicated country in terms of bureaucracy and logistics. Especially logistics. The bureaucracy really only extended up until they reopened their borders on December 1st. Captain Tui escorted me to a bus terminal in Lautoka, Fiji, where we parted. From there I began an 18-hour journey with a bus, a ferry, a bus, 5 hours of sleep on an uncomfortable bench at a bus terminal in Savusavu, a taxi (because I missed the bus by 10 min at 06:00 in the morning, another ferry, and finally a 15-minute walk to Garden Island Resort, where I will do some: running, some hiking, some reading, some resting, and some work. Let’s keep on keeping on!

final

 

I would like to thank our esteemed partners for their invaluable contributions to Once Upon A Saga: DB Schenker Denmark, Kameli, Red Sand Solutions, Salomon, the Danish Red Cross and Ross Energy / Geoop

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If you enjoyed this blog or find that I am doing a good job then you can support here below. The Saga welcomes funding. Thank you :)

 

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Best regards
Mr. Torbjørn C. Pedersen (Thor) - supported by people around the world.

"A stranger is a friend you've never met before"

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